THE days are long and the work is physically and mentally draining, but there is nowhere else Chloe Swiggs would rather be than in a shearing shed with a pair of combs and cutters in hand.
The 25-year-old is well-known in the Millicent district through her shearing in a number of local sheds.
She recently became the first female to complete the Certificate III in Shearing in South Australia – and potentially Australia – having studied the qualification through TAFE SA.
Chloe, who comes from a shearing family and is currently shearing about 160 sheep a day, said she was excited to see more women getting involved in the industry and having a go.
“I think women have been interested in shearing for years, but I’m just not sure whether they had been given the opportunities to jump on a stand like females today,” Chloe said.
“Now that it is becoming more and more accepted, women are taking the opportunity to be involved.”
Chloe attended TAFE SA’s Willalooka Learner School in February 2017, where she sheared her first sheep and after seeing her potential was encouraged by trainers to head “up bush” to an improver school in Oakden Hills – 120km north of Port Augusta – for extra training.
From there, she signed up to do TAFE SA’s Certificate III in Shearing, which has taught her about animal welfare, preparing combs and cutters, maintaining hand pieces, shearing to a professional level and workplace safety.
She has not looked back since.
“Since I have started shearing, I have had so many females come to me and say ‘I wish I had done that when I had the chance’ or ‘I’m really interested in shearing, but I do not know how to start’,” she said.
“Life is too short to have a ‘should have, could have, would have’ attitude.
“Doing this course will take you places you have never been before and there are so many people willing to help you succeed, there really is no room for failure.
“The opportunities are endless.”
She said preparation was key to the job, which is both physically and mentally demanding.
“I physically prepare my body each day with stretching for at least 30 minutes before we start,” she said.
“Eating a well-balanced diet is very important and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated is a big must.
“Mentally, I make sure I prepare my work tools and work area.
“Being on target with the gear that I’m going to be using for the day and making sure my stand is organised and accessible will give me peace of mind to concentrate on the job.”
